The present invention relates to rotary type bottle labeling machinery, and concerns a device for rotation of the pedestals by which single bottles, or containers generally, are supported during the labeling operations.
High production labeling machines are embodied in most instances as a rotating platform or carrousel, the periphery of which affords a plurality of stands, or pedestals, on which the containers for labeling are positioned.
In the course of its rotation, the platform passes in front of one or more labeling stations at which labels taken from a magazine are spread with glue and transferred singly to the bottles.
The pedestals, to which the bottles are transferred by star wheel conveying devices of conventional type, are capable of rotation about their own axes for the reason that with several types of container (for example champagne bottles), the label has to be aligned with a previously positioned capsule a foil seal over the cap and upper neck portion of the bottle). More exactly, the label has to be applied to the container in a predetermined position with respect to another part or mark, for example the capsule in the case of a champagne bottle.
The prior art embraces two methods of aligning a bottle with the label it is to receive: in a first, the bottles, rotating about their own axes, are aligned at the moment of their passage through the star wheel that conveys them onto the carrousel; in this instance, alignment is brought about by means of a system of photocells and clutch or caliper means that cause rotational movement of the bottles to cease on arrival at a given angular position. The drawback with this system is that the passage from the star wheel device to the labeling pedestal occurs without the bottle being held or clamped, the result of which is that it remains free to rotate about its own axis, and alignment cannot therefore be guaranteed.
The second method mentioned is one of aligning the bottle directly on the pedestal. To this purpose, use is made of cam-operated brake-clutch devices mounted beneath the pedestal, which operate on the cam controlling rotation.
More exactly, the cam is permanently driven by the clutch, whereas the brake is applied only when triggered by a photocell that verifies alignment. Neither do these brake-clutch clamp devices ensure faultless alignment, particularly where different types of bottles are being handled, given that rotational inertia forces vary with the change in weight and shape of the bottle.
A further drawback is that cam or maltese cross indexing devices with brake-clutch controls of this type are unable to attain high positioning rates, with the result that the output of the labeling machine tends to be limited.
Yet another drawback of such systems is that the cam controlling rotation of the bottle remains good for one type of bottle only; thus, a change in the shape of bottle handled, or in the position of the label on the bottle, signifies a change of cam. To increase production, using prior art alignment methods, it becomes necessary to construct machines with the significantly large carrousel platforms, hence with larger proportions overall; even so, the cam problem remains unsolved, and power requirement is increased.
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above, and in particular, to embody a compact labeling machine that is also universal, i.e. capable of faultlessly aligning and labeling any type of bottle without any need to change the pedestral rotation cams.
A further object of the invention is to enable changeover from one type of bottle to another without any replacement of mechanical parts, but simply by reprogramming a data processing circuit.